September 15, 2017

Our Lady of Sorrows

Jn 19: 25-27

Meanwhile, standing near the cross of Jesus were his mother, and his mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene. When Jesus saw his mother and the disciple whom he loved standing beside her, he said to his mother, “Woman, here is your son.” Then he said to the disciple, “Here is your mother.” And from that hour the disciple took her into his own home.

New Revised Standard Version, copyright 1989, by the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved. USCCB approved.

Blessed are they who sorrow

Sorrow is a tricky topic. Too much attention to sorrow seems to lead to a gloominess, yet avoiding real sorrow when it arises isn’t helpful either. Today’s liturgical memorial of Our Lady of Sorrows helps us to recall that living a life of Christian love will include sadness, and that this sadness, though no easier for it, can be part of our sharing in Christ’s redemptive work. Sorting out how to respond to sorrow and loss is not easy and is best done with the help of others, but let Mary’s experience be an assurance that God is with us even in sadness. “Blessed are they who mourn, for they shall be comforted.”

Ignatian spirituality reminds us that God pursues us in the routines of our home and work life, and in the hopes and fears of life's challenges. The founder of the Jesuits, Saint Ignatius of Loyola, created the Spiritual Exercises to deepen our relationship with Christ and to move our contemplation into service. May this prayer site anchor your day and strengthen your resolve to remember what truly matters.

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September 15, 2017

Our Lady of Sorrows

Jn 19: 25-27

Meanwhile, standing near the cross of Jesus were his mother, and his mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene. When Jesus saw his mother and the disciple whom he loved standing beside her, he said to his mother, “Woman, here is your son.” Then he said to the disciple, “Here is your mother.” And from that hour the disciple took her into his own home.

New Revised Standard Version, copyright 1989, by the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved. USCCB approved.

Blessed are they who sorrow

Sorrow is a tricky topic. Too much attention to sorrow seems to lead to a gloominess, yet avoiding real sorrow when it arises isn’t helpful either. Today’s liturgical memorial of Our Lady of Sorrows helps us to recall that living a life of Christian love will include sadness, and that this sadness, though no easier for it, can be part of our sharing in Christ’s redemptive work. Sorting out how to respond to sorrow and loss is not easy and is best done with the help of others, but let Mary’s experience be an assurance that God is with us even in sadness. “Blessed are they who mourn, for they shall be comforted.”